South Fork

[Rexburg_rabble]

I had Friday off so I headed out to enjoy the weather. Although our temperatures were GREAT, the wind was terrible. I ended up catching quite a few little browns, but they were all smaller. They were really keying in on black zebra midges. I had a camera with me but I kept holding out for a fish that was picture worthy---never came.

I decided to fish the South Fork because many of you say that it's your favorite water to fish. Any words of wisdom on how to fish this water?
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[flyfishingfool]

The South Fork is my favorite to fish when I want to catch a lot of fish. If I catch a fish over 20" on the South Fork I'd consider that a pretty nice fish for the river. I know there are some really nice browns in the river but I usually catch more quantity of fish than quality. I catch more big fish on the Henry's Fork or the main Snake from Menan down. The fish I usually catch average 14"-16" but you can catch so many that it makes it fun. There are a ton of fish in that river! I also like it because you can catch fish there so many different ways on a consistent basis. The most consistent way to catch a bunch of fish IMO is to nymph it. Patterns like rubber legs and your standard nymphs and midges usually work fine. My favorite way to fish it though is throwing streamers, usually for browns. Thats usually how I get into the bigger fish as well. Its also so close to home and that makes it a lot of fun to fish.
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[jacksonlaker]

The fishing on the south fork is dictated by water flow. When ever they raise or lower the flows, the fishing gets slow. The best fishing occurs at steady flows, usually in the fall. I like to fish it in march when the flows are the lowest. The last few years they have been cranking it up in march. If you want to catch bigger fish on the river, use a spinning rod and throw minnow lures like rap alas or pointers. I do really well on soft plastics. Big fish eat little fish, not bugs. There are many fish over 20" in the river. It is a great river to catch trout on, when the conditions are right. Keep at it, and keep the reports comin!!
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[Bmarsh]

Lots of big fish in that river. And you can catch different size fish year round. Usually it takes two days for the fishing to pick back up after a decent change in the water levels. A lot of the opinions guys form about it and the size of fish in it are based off of their fishing methods. Drys aren't on average going to pull in bigger fish since they typically eat bigger things on the menu. If you want to catch bigger fish you aren't going to do it with the same methods you catch little fish with. With. That said you can get lucky if your smart and hit it right. I've gotten lucky and yanked a few 20+ inch fish out on dries but on the average my biggest fish come from rapalas. Tossing big streamers will show the same results, bigger fish but less fish. There are pigs in there, rumor is a 16 lb brown was pulled out of the conant area this spring on a white tube jig fished deep.
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[jabink89]

You have done better than I have. The south fork has always been rough for me. I have more skunks there than I do at all other areas I fish combined. Like was said above, Fishing has alot to do with flows and timing. I go out with friends and dont get into too many and then two days later my buddies go back and cant keep them off the lines. the best advice I can give is to keep fishing it. You will learn how the fish relate to that area. Streamer fishing is also my favorite but the best way is probably a tandem nymph rig with one being a midge.
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[flyfishingfool]

I fished the lower river today around Heise with FishingRookie and we had a really hard time catching anything. We both threw streamers most of the time. I had one hit but missed it. I'll blame the rising flows [cool]. My favorite time to fish it is also in the fall. I would also agree that rapalas will catch bigger fish on a more consistent basis than flies. What Rapala pattern do you like to throw? I used to fish the brown trout pattern quite a bit when I was a kid and always did well on it. I guess the closest thing to throwing rapalas on the fly rod is throwing big articulated streamers. You can hammer some huge fish with big streamers. Like said, big fish eat smaller fish!
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[Bmarsh]

Silver, brown, perch, brookie raps and just have to let the fish tell you what's the go to color. I'll disagree on time of year. Right after the chocolate run off ends and while its still a little murky is some of the best lure fishing I've ever had. For Flys there is a couple of week window after it clears and before the pressure educates the fish that you have big fish hitting the surface and in the riffles. After that it is harder and harder the rest of the summer. It's a tricky river to figure out. But I will say sloppy loud wadding, and casting will ruin a hole there. I've learned it the hard way. Anymore I treat holes like I'm stalking it and work at sight fishing. Since using this approach my catch rate has jumped .
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[Rexburg_rabble]

Thanks for all your input, guys. I share your sentiments, jabink! The South Fork has left me scratching my head more times than any other river in the area. I'm really glad I got into a few on Friday or I would have been really discouraged about it all! I understand what you all are telling me: to get the bigger fish, you need to use bigger bugs. Since I don't know how to confidently do anything other than fly fish, I guess that translates to streamers. I'd love for someone to show me how it's done sometime because I've given it a valiant effort on more than one occasion and hook nothing but submerged logs all day long.

When I fished it on Friday, it was too windy for anything to happen on the surface. Have any of you seen anything going on up top?
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[jabink89]

well I will be back in the burg in a few weeks for spring semester. There are a few of us from the area that get together often to fish. You are welcome to come any time. Were all streamer lovers. Mind I said lovers not masters, its a thing you constantly are improving on.
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